We'll start with DEATH. Because every kid wants a DEATH story at bedtime.

Mr. Reaperby Tatsuya Miyanishi

Published by Vertical

Part of me wants to make fun of this one, part of me is in deep envy. The snarky bit wants to shriek, "Death? Personified? Are you kidding me?" The vast and swampy envy part thinks, "Damn. Publishers in the U.S. would NEVER let me do this." But I could be selling them short, too.

Mr. Reaper is our narrator and he's spooky. At the beginning of the tale, he let's us see a "piglet in pain."

Enter the hungry wolf who takes the sick piglet. Wolf plans to help Piglet--so he can eat him later.

Death is amused and tells us Wolf will be dead soon, too.

Are you hooked yet? Lord knows I am.

Wolf's attempts to heal Piglet fail, until he remembers a healing plant. He cannot find it. Piglet apologizes for not getting better so Wolf can eat him.

Wolf now wants to save Piglet and searches harder for the healing plant. There it is!

Down a steep cliff.

Down he goes.

Then we see Wolf and Piglet dancing in a meadow and Death tells us he let them live because they make "a wonderful pair."